


Rather Be

by markantony



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst, Drabble, F/M, post adamant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-14
Updated: 2018-09-14
Packaged: 2019-07-12 08:53:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15991874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/markantony/pseuds/markantony
Summary: A drabble of a moment of the Inquisitor post-Adamant.





	Rather Be

Everything felt wrong after Adamant. Two days after Adamant, exactly, when she woke up and realised what had just happened. She was in a small bed in what she recognised as Griffon Wing Keep, she was wearing a white linen dress and bandages on her hand and her thigh. She felt a stinging on her lip and she suddenly remembered that she was thirsty. When she turned her head to look for a jug, she saw Dorian leaning over a table and writing on a paper.

"Dorian?" she asked in confusion. Her best friend rose from the chair and her eyes widened. He wasn't wearing a white robe, he had his chest covered in bandages. "Dorian! How-"

"Shh, be quiet or they'll send me to my tent. Move, let me sit by your side." Evelyn sat up and moved, letting a space for Dorian. Tears started pouring from her eyes spontaneously, not having said a word. She hid her face in Dorian's shoulder and hugged one of is arms. Dorian put the other arm over her back and caressed her. "Now now, don't cry. I'm alive, you are not in the Fade."

"Dorian... are you okay? Why aren't you being treated?"

"I was. Those Pride demons weren't very nice to me and left me scarred," he sighed. "I am spoiled."

"Dorian, how much harm did they do to you?"

The Tevinter kissed Evelyn's forehead. "I'm just exaggerating, my dear. I am not Iron Bull, I'm stronger than that. But I bled and I used too much mana and... Overworked my body too much. These bandages are actually pressing some herbs against my body, so not only I'll feel better after a week, but I'll smell like a Dalish elf. I can't even take a bath..."

"I want to take one. I feel... dirty."

"If we were in any other place they would grant you a big ass bathtub, but they are only using water to clean wounds and to drink. I can brush your hair if you want." Evelyn didn't respond but Dorian took a brush out of the nightstand next to the bed. Evelyn let her dark hair down and let Dorian do. 

"Dorian..."

"Mmm?"

"Why are you here?"

"They put me in a tent with Blackwall. That's reason enough. But he was brooding and we agreed that he should go to Sera and I to you, not only because I wanted to know about you, but because you have a table and there's actually air up here. And you are going to ask me about Sera. She... She's not okay. We all saw her reaction in the Fade. She is in a special room, but I think the sooner we get to Skyhold the better. This place smells of tainted blood even if we are a pair of miles away from Adamant."

"And you?"

"What should I tell you? I wish I was at Skyhold, but I was there with you. I feel better than Sera and Blackwall, probably better than you. Your under eye circles are horrid, but I understand." He put the brush down and tied her hair up. "This is as clean as you'll be until we get more water."

"Thank you, I feel a lot better," she squeezed his hand. "I adore you, Dorian."

"Of course you do," he squeezed hers back. "Do you want me to tell Cullen you are awake?"

"I don't know if I want him to see me in this state. How is he?"

"Oh, you know. Running on and about, telling people to do things, looking terrificly handsome and dirty at the same time. He has peaked inside the rooms a few times for the past few days but he didn't want to wake you up."

Evelyn's chest warmed up at the though. She would have liked to be woken up by Cullen, to know that after all, he was still there for her. "Would you go and tell him...?"

"Okay, but I'll come back in about an hour, so you know what you have time to do and whatnot."

"Dorian..."

Dorian closed the door after he left and Evelyn rose up slowly. Her joints hurt. She didn't have a mirror but she cleaned her face and underarms and used a towel nearby to dry. She tidied up her hair and walked to the window. Desert, blight, desperation. Nothing like the deserts north of the Free Marches. 

A knock on the door, and Cullen entered. He wasn't wearing armour, just brown pants and a black t-shirt. He looked a bit slimer. "Love?"

Love. It came from his mouth, as if he had woken up in their bed in Skyhold and wanted to see if she was awake of her. That's the sensation that word brought to her. "Love, how are you?"

Cullen smiled and walked up to embrace her. She buried herself in his arms. She didn't feel like crying again, but she took deep breaths. "I thought I lost you. That I'd be alone and unhappy again. Your hand..."

"It doesn't hurt." She nuzzled him and kissed his lips and his cheeks.

They kissed, they talked. Both cried. Hawke. The Divine. Poor Sera. The Wardens. What Are We Going To Do. I'm here. We'll see. They went to bed and the bed seemed much bigger even when they were cuddling each other tightly. It might be the first time Cullen slept since Adamant.


End file.
